Berry harvester



Feb. 9 1926.

H. B. MAGLATHLIN BERRY HARVESTER Filed Oct. 2l., 1924 `V j'foraceB/@y w sa Patented Feb. 9, `1925. ,Y

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. f

IIORACE B. MAGLATVHLIN, OF KINGSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OE ONEeHAIl" TO FRANKLIN E. SMITH, .OIF IJEWTIL'MASSACHUSETTS.

BERRY HARVESTER.

Appiicaaonfaied'october 21, 1924. serial No. 744,896.

` LIN, ak citizen ot thel United .*States "orv America, and resident of Kingston, inthe county or' Plymouth and State of lvlassan chusetts, have invented new and useullmproveinents in Berry ldarvesters, VofV which,

the following isa specification.

This invention pertainsto cranberry harvesting machines and relates more particle larly to that type of machine disclosed in the patent to .Horace B. Maglathlin No. 1,233,089, dateaJuiy 10,1917.

lnmachines of this type the berriesgarekk Vstripped from the vines by means of toothed scoop and a cooperating rotary brush. v The scoops usually comprise a series of tapering, lattenedwooden inge'rsheld in parallel spaced relation by means of spacer elements interposed between the ,fingers ade jacent to their wider ends, the fingers and spacer blocks being united bygone' or more Vtie rods extending through 'the entire series.

Ordinarily the spacer elements are of substantially the samevertical depth as thel teeth between which they are interposed so that as the berries move upwardly along the channels .between the adjacent teeth of the scoop they are obliged to rise 'abruptly in passing the obstruction produced by the spacer elements which tends to injure the berries to a certainextent as well as to interiere with their free andv continuous discharge from the delivery end ot the scoop;

While the patented machine is in general highly satisfactory :torthe intended purpose the present Yinvention has for its object the limprovement of such Ymachine, and in particular to provide afscoop ot' improved construction having uninterrupted' guide channels for the berries along which they may move without obstruction or interference until discharged from the upper or rear end of the scoop; to provide means combinedwith the scoop proper and forming in effect a continuation thereof, "for deliveringtln berries onto ja suitable conveyor; to provide an improved form of stripper for cooperation with the scoop whichnot only detachesthe berries from. the vine but yalso movesthem in a positive manner substantially the entire length of the guide channels `so that they are vdischarged in a uniform manner` and do not pile up andintertere'withthe'stripping operation; and to provide or the delivery: of berries ydischarged fi'om the scoop into a removable receptacle such for example as a shipping box.

Vlveiterring to the drawings l Fig. 1 is a fragmentary Side elevation partly in verticalsection along line 1-1 of 2 showing the improved picking mechanism;

Fig. 2'isa fragmentary plan view, partly broken away, of the devices shown in Fig. 1; Figa 3 is a fragmentary side elevation showing parts not illustrated inv Fig. 1;

Fig; si is a fragmentary vertical sectionjto larger scale on the line 1-4E of Fig-2; and Fig. 5 ris a similar section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. n

The improved picking mechanism is here shown as carried by a horse-drawn vehicle, although it is evident that it may be mounted .upon a i'notor-propelled` vehicle of any desired type. Only a portion of the sup-k `providing journals fora `supporting roller 7. .Y At a point substantially above the roller 7, the frame is furnished with journals for a transverse shaft 8 having a pulley 9 secured to one' end thereof. This pulley is driven by means of a belt 10 which engages a drive pulleyll secured to the-wheel 2 of the carriage. i The shaft is furnished with a worm l2 at its oppositerend which meshes with a worm wheel 13 carried by a shaft 14k extending substantially at right angles to the shaft 8. rllhis shaft 14 is furnished with a roller which Vconstitutes the driving means for Van endless conveyor belt 15 whose opposite end embraces a supporting roller 16 mounted in suitable bearings in the'ra-me.

A shelf 17 is securedto the frame 5 at aV Mmmm :L Mufti IME i fraud@ E um @mi M Hw ,fm-wmp aammfmwto the oitlwl. il A Max-rj' hwwvsmj mnehne having :z` sump Complfiing; f1 im'ifs mi pamlIQ fing-CTS, :md Spacer elements; iniulposed bei;Weenw adjuconf fingers; mesu' om 9nd of the lutter' to spacethe lingers whereby to provide berry guiding channels between them, said chan-A nels extending uninterruptedly past the po` sition of the spacer elements.

3. A berry harvesting machine having a scoop comprising a series of parallel lingers of greater vertical depth atene .end than atY the ether, and spacers between the adjacent lingers at their deeper ends, the upper edges of the spacers being disposed below the up per edges or' the fingers to avoid obstruction oic the berry guiding channels.;

5. A berry harvesting machine having a j scoop comprising a. series of substantially parallel spaced fingers having uninterrupted berry guiding channels between them, and means cooperating with each oit said channels for positively propelling berries along the channels substantially from one end to the other of the latter. .Y

6. A berry harvesting machine having a scoop supported adjacent to one end and other end, a conveyor extending transversely to the width oi the scoop adjacent to'its upper end,`.ineans-for propelling berries upwardly along the scoop, and means for conducting the berries from the upper end oi the scoop onto said conveyor. l v

` 7. A berry harvesting machine having a scoop comprising aseriesrof parallel fingers spaced to provide berry guiding channels and a grooved member arranged atone end of the scoop to provide extensions of the channels beyond the end of the scoop proper.

8. A berry harvesting machine having a scoop provided with a series of parallel berry guiding channels, a member connected to one end of the scoop having grooves forming continuations ot said channels, a conveyor device arranged to receive berries discharged from the'ends'of said grooves, and means `tor propelling` berries along said channels. f

9. A berry harvesting machine having a scoop comprising a series of berry guiding channels, a plate 'forming an extension of the scoop at one end of the latter, said plate `having grooves constituting continuations of the respective channels, and a belt conveyor arranged to receive berries discharged from the ends of said grooves.

l0. A berry harvesting machine having a downwardly inclinedl -scoop comprising a series et parallel berry guiding channels, a belt conveyor arranged adjacent to the upper -end of the scoop. a plate extending from the upper end of the scoop to a point'above the conveyor, said plate having grooves forming l continuations oi the berry guiding channels,

and berry engaging elements moving along Vthe channels to propel berries .toward the upper end of the scoop. l

ll. A'berry harvesting machine having a.

downwardly inclined scoop pivotally supported adjacent to its upper end,-sai,d scoop having parallel longitudinally extending berry guiding channels, a conveyor extending transversely of the scoop adjacent to its upper end, a member extending Jfrom the upper edge of the scoop to a poi-nt above the conveyor, said member having parallel grooves constituting continuations of the guide channels, means for'supporting a-removable receptacle at the end of the con- -veyor, and means forinoving berries upwardly along the channels to be discharged from Vthe ends oit the grooves onto the conveyor. iiormallyincliiiiiig downwardly toward its f 12. A berry harvesting machine having a downwardly inclined scoop comprising a series of fingers spaced to provide berry guiding channels, means for propelling berries toward the upperends of said channels, a conveyor extending transversely of the width of the Vscoop for receiving berries dischargedV from all of the channels, and

vmeans for supporting a removable receptacle at the delivery end of the conveyor.

13. A. berry harvesting machine having a downwardly inclined scoop pivotally supported at its upper end, ineans for adjusting the inclination of the scoop, the scoop comprising a series of parallel berry guiding channels, a belt conveyor arranged adjacent to the upper end of the scoop, means for driving the belt conveyor, a support for a berry box adjacent to the delivery end of the conveyor, and means for propelling bei-- ries from the guide Achannels to the conveyor.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 10th day of October 1924i.

nonnen B. MAGLATHLIN.

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